From overcoming tumultuous childhoods and experiencing homelessness firsthand to developing the empathy and wisdom to turn what they’ve learned into a commitment to helping others succeed, our 2020 Alum and Student of the Year* are both on a mission to make a real difference in their communities and the lives of those around them. 

Although she’s lived on the West Coast for most of her adult life, the University of Arizona Global Campus Lead Faculty in the Department of Education & Liberal Arts for the College of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Allison Rief, considers Connecticut home. Growing up, the tiny town she lived in had one simple claim to fame.

Though we learn something new every day, the earliest years of our lives — from birth to age eight — are considered the most critical to our development. Social and emotional skills, literacy, fine motor skills, and the first displays of deductive reasoning, among others, are all essential to human growth, putting a fine point on the everlasting demand for degree-holding Early Childhood Education professionals.

Recognized globally as the ultimate academic achievement, a doctoral degree is the highest degree that you can earn in many fields and the degree indicates that you have attained the highest level of academic success in your field.  A doctorate represents a commitment to your professional growth and personal achievement; demonstrating your qualifications and positioning you to better advocate for professional and career growth. 

If you want to see School of Business and Technology Lead Faculty Dr. Peggy Sundstrom in her element, chances are you’ll need to be comfortable around dogs or getting outdoors. Most likely, both.

As a UAGC student or alumnus, you have access to a comprehensive suite of career-readiness resources and job search tools, as well as career advisors who can meet with you one-on-one to help plan your next career move.

However, there are some very immediate and tangible things you can do now to jumpstart your job search. Here are six things you should do right away, according to Career Services.

Can you imagine being Santa Claus? Think about it. You would have to manage an entire toy-making workforce, care and tend to flying reindeer, stay healthy in the wake of an inevitable yearly cookie overload, and fly around the world delivering gifts to every boy and girl who made the elusive “nice” list. As hard as the mythical jolly old fellow works, he’s got nothing on you, the student balancing school, work, and a family. 

Have you ever found yourself up late at night, exhausted and stressed, desperate to find an article on your research topic? As you dug through page after page of search results and found nothing, have you thought to yourself, “There must be an easier way to do research”? 

In the past two decades, online learning has evolved by leaps and bounds, with traditional classrooms reinvented as websites and apps, and social media serving as the virtual hallways, libraries, and common areas where students meet and share their experiences.